Back in 2015 when Amazon (AMZN) launched a cool little event called Prime Day in hopes of dethroning the power of Black Friday, quite a few of us showed up to buy heavily discounted goodies (including a mind-boggling 24,000 Instant Pots).
Now, it's seven years later, and Amazon Prime Day is not what it was when it launched.
Not according to folks on the internet, at least, who take to forums like Reddit to talk about the days when Prime Day was actually a place to go for amazing deals, rather than just cheap facial massagers and sock organizers no one wants.
That said, Prime Day was a good idea, and its decline in popularity didn't take that away.
Even so, Amazon Prime Day 2022 will surely have many shoppers.
But this year, those eternally in search of the rush that comes with nabbing a good deal may have a new place to shop, because Walmart (WMT) has announced its own version of Prime Day.
TheStreet
Walmart's Take On the Three-Day Sale
Walmart's version of Prime Day is called Walmart+ Weekend and is exclusively for Walmart+ members. Much like Prime, Walmart+ grants free shipping on most items, free grocery delivery, member discounts on fuel, and access to special events.
Held entirely online, Walmart+ Weekend kicks off June 2 at 3 p.m. EST and runs through Sunday, June 5 at 7 p.m. EST.
The retailer was quick to tease deals aimed to pique many a customer's interest piqued, such as Samsung phones, Gateway laptops, and video game consoles like the PlayStation 5.
It also offered early access to some deals immediately, such as iPad Airs, Galaxy Tab S7 tablets, and 4K Smart TVs.
If you're not already a Walmart+ member, signing up in a store will score you a $20 off promo code on your next online purchase.
Can Walmart Really Take on Prime?
Launched in September 2020, Walmart+ had 32 million subscribers one year later (as reported by Deutsche Bank).
Amazon still has quite the head start at a projected 152 million users for 2022, but considering how long Prime has been around, Walmart certainly has a formidable start, especially for how little time Walmart+ has been available.
However, Prime subscriptions continue to grow every year, so if it wants to pull ahead Walmart will have quite a bit of work to do. It made waves recently when it hired ex-Paypal chief financial officer John Rainey.
Rainey is known for his strength in digital marketing, which could greatly aid Walmart as it continues to build out this service.
In the meantime, Walmart has been fighting surging costs, which led to missing its first quarter earnings goals. But in the long term, the retailer has what it takes to continue to build a product that could potentially spirit away the Amazon Prime customer.
With inflation hurting almost everyone's budget, Walmart+'s $98 annual fee might just seem a great deal more palatable than Amazon's $139.
